The Provost's Message - August 30, 2016

Well, it is finally here, our first semester! Welcome to Fall 2016! I know that the short summer posed challenges because of the time needed to prepare for your first semester. As we cross the finish line of conversion, all I can say is simply thank you! Your efforts to convert curricula, advise students, and revise deadlines and processes to meet the needs of a semester calendar did not go unnoticed and continue to be greatly appreciated. I also realize that the first weeks of any term can be difficult as all rush to campus at the same time and appreciate your patience as we settle in.

This time of the year, stories abound nationally and locally on the start of the academic year. Articles appear about the things that students could do better or the things that they do that “drive professors crazy”—many are quite funny and contain grains of truth. But the better pieces focus on the transformative effect of teaching and remind us of the critical role we play at Cal State LA. In particular, David Kirps’Conquering the Freshman Fear of Failure reminds us that even the small things we do set the tone for a student’s successful educational experience. I have had many opportunities over the last eighteen months to speak with faculty and staff about their work with students—our students are truly fortunate to be surrounded by such dedicated professionals. As we navigate the first few weeks of the semester, we must all be mindful of the ways in which we can offer the newest members of the Cal State LA family the warmest of welcomes.

For faculty, tenure and promotion are among the hardest-achieved of professional goals. They require years of professional activity, thousands of hours perfecting teaching and service to departments, colleges and the university. It is with great pleasure that I congratulate our newest tenured associate professors:

Emily Moss

Music, Theatre, and Dance

David Raymond

Mechanical Engineering

Tona Rodriguez-Nikl

Civil Engineering

Katrina Yamazaki

Biological Sciences

I also offer special congratulations to those who have earned the rank of full professor:

Enrique Berumen

Television, Film, and Media Studies

Gary Brookfield

Mathematics

Nancy Cohick

Communication Disorders

Jessica Dennis

Psychology

Cari Flint

Communication Disorders

Colleen Friend

Communication Disorders

Allison Fuligni

Child and Family Services

Huiping Guo

Computer Science

Borislava Gutarts

Mathematics

Anthony Hernandez

Applied and Advanced Studies in Education

Ester Hernandez

Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies

Chisato Koike

Modern Languages and Literature

Paola Marin

Modern Languages and Literature

James Moss

Art

Shaheen Anthony

Mathematics

ChengYu Sun

Computer Science

Valerie Talavera-Bustillos

Chicana(o) and Latina(o) Studies

Richard Wearn

Art

The College of Natural and Social Sciences is pleased to announce that Dr. Krishna Foster will be honored as a Minority Access National Role Model at the Seventeenth National Role Models Conference next month in Washington D.C. Minority Access, Inc. is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing diversity, decreasing disparities, and reducing incidences of environmental injustices.

Dr. Krishna Foster is well deserving of this recognition. She has a distinguished record as a scholar with a history of peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national conferences. Her efforts to facilitate student success in science are outstanding. She has been deeply involved in our course redesign and active learning efforts. Her work to improve student learning in Chemistry serves as a model for other faculty. Dr. Foster also plays a leading role in efforts to ensure the success of first-generation, low-income students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Cal State LA is one of the most diverse universities in the United States. Close to 70% of our students are eligible for Pell Grants and more than 60% are from under-represented ethnic and racial groups. Dr. Foster serves as the co-director of the Minority Opportunities in Research Programs (MORE). Thanks to her work and the work of her colleagues, we have been acknowledged by the National Science Foundation as the largest producer of Latino PhDs from comprehensive state colleges.

Contact the Office of the Provost with your comments and submissions here.